GLENROTHES fighter reveals how he climbed into ring with shoulder, back, knee and hip injuries - only to be robbed of selection.

CONNOR Law dragged himself from the wreckage of a car crash – only to find his Commonwealth Games dream smashed to pieces.

As hard-luck tales go the Glenrothes boxer’s horror story that saw him miss out on a place at Glasgow 2014 takes some beating.

When Team Scotland was announced last month the 21-year-old was on the outside looking in after being floored by a spilt-decision in a box-off against Lewis Benson in April four days after surviving a near-fatal accident.

Now the fighter has spoken for the first time about the controversial winner-takes-all bout against one of his best friends which only added insult to injury.

Despite being hospitalised with damage to his shoulder, back, hip and knee in a crash which left his car a write-off, Law still climbed into the ring to be robbed of the chance to represent his country this summer.

Law, who is set to turn professional under Tommy Gilmour this year, said: “I started preparing for the box-off by going to Portugal to train with Team Scotland.

“But four days before the fight I was involved in a serious car crash.

“My car was a complete write off after I went through a fence, into a ditch and hit a tree.

“I was badly injured and my girlfriend Shelley had to take time off from her work. I still tried to train on but it was impossible.

Lewis Benson throws a jab at Connor Law.

“I could barely walk, never mind run so I couldn’t train to lose the weight. I had 4kg to lose within three days.

“I was in hospital getting physio for the four days leading up to the box-off.

“I tried to get the fight moved but Boxing Scotland refused to do that, it was either fight or pull out.

“Those were the options but after the crash I decided to do what I could as I had no choice, after all it was the biggest fight of my life.

“I was told if I was too sore then I could withdraw but this was the Commonwealth Games and what I had been training all my life for.

“I knew I was fighting against the odds and I was relying on the pain disappearing and the adrenaline kicking in.

“In an effort to lose the weight for the fight I was in the sauna three times a day, then I went for a bath at night. I had to try to sweat to drain the water out of my body and I just made the weight with nothing to spare.”

Law lost a Scottish Championship title fight with Benson at The Emirates Arena in February which led to verbal punches being traded over which fighter should land a Games place amid a complicated points system which had Law believing he was home and dry for Glasgow.

Connor missed chance of Games glory

It was another twist to the saga which has left him feeling a nagging sense of injustice.

He said: “I fought Lewis years ago and we became friends but we knew ultimately we would be fighting each other for a place at the Commonwealth Games. That friendship remained strong even though we were fighting each other for the Scottish Championship at The Emirates.

“Lewis beat me in what was a very close fight but it was probably the worst that I have ever boxed.

“I still felt I had done enough to edge it but I wasn’t going to start crying over that. It’s boxing and it happens.

“I knew it would be a points system which would decide who made Team Scotland and I was confident that person would be me.

“But after the fight at the Emirates and the bad performance I put in, Lewis then thought he would be going to Glasgow.

“He had beaten me which was fair enough but I was still confident of being selected as I was so far ahead of him on points.

“Lewis knew that was the script but he started making out that he should be in the team because he had beaten me.

“One bad night shouldn’t have counted, my argument was that Lewis earned 300 points with his victory but I won the silver and claimed 250 points which was still enough to be a couple of hundred points clear.

Boxing promoter Tommy Gilmour

“Then I received a phone call from the head coach to say there was going to be a box-off.”

It was then that disaster struck for Law as his preparations for the 69kg clash fell apart after his car left the road and collided with a tree.

Law admits his battle over adversity only came to an end with a 2-1 judges decision against him which only added insult to injury.

The fighters went toe to toe in April for three rounds inside an empty Glasgow hall to decide who would make the cut and Law insists he is still baffled by having the contest called against him after believing he had been by far the better boxer.

He said: “I was drained and in agony, it was brutal. But when the fight started I landed everything and I had Lewis chasing me.

“If I had done that at the fight at The Emirates then I would have been fine and even if I had been robbed by the result then everyone would have been able to see it.

“When the box-off fight was given to Lewis my coach went across to the judges to ask how they had scored it.

“I went over to the judges table and told them I thought they had made a mistake. As soon as the bell went for the end of the fight Lewis put his head down and I couldn’t believe it when I was told I had lost.

“Even his coaches were shaking their heads and they said to me, ‘Well done Connor’.

“I was on cloud nine as I thought I had done it but I believe politics played a part in the result, how else could you explain the judges making that decision?

“I ask myself that question every day as I have trained for the Commonwealth Games for most of my life.

“I have looked at it from every angle and still don’t know how they could hand Lewis one round never mind the whole fight. Lewis said he came on strong in the last round and that I tired but I wasn’t tired, I was in agony and he was chasing it.

“I’m gutted and until these Games are over I won’t forget what happened.”